ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team plays host to Northwest Nazarene University on Tuesday (Feb. 3).
 
GAME INFORMATION
Tuesday, February 4
Vs Northwest Nazarene
7:00 p.m.
Nicholson Pavilion
Ellensburg, WA
 
QUOTABLE
"Northwest Nazarene is the hottest team in the league and the west region, having won seven in a row," CWU Head Coach Brandon Rinta said.  "They have improved a ton since we played them last and are playing with whole new level of confidence."
 
SCOUTING NORTHWEST NAZARENE
The Nighthawks have won seven consecutive games, improving their record to 11-6 overall and 8-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.  Last week, NNU took down both Western Washington and Simon Fraser University.  The last loss for the Nighthawks came against Central Washington, in Nampa, on January 7.
 
Against the Vikings, Jayden Bezzant led NNU with 20 points.  Olamilekan Adetunji picked up another 18.  Adetunji chipped in 21 points against Simon Fraser on February 1.  Ezekiel Alley recorded 12, while Sam Roth added 11. 
 
Alley leads the Nighthawks in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game.  Bezzant sits in second, putting up 13.2 points per game.  Adetunji holds the rebounding lead, pulling in 8.1 boards per game.  Adetunjji earned GNAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors for his efforts this past week.  On the road, Northwest Nazarene is 4-3. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats took down rival Western Washington in an 82-60 victory inside Nicholson Pavilion.  The win is also CWU head Coach Rinta's first against the Vikings.  The win also snaps a three-game skid to WWU and is the first win at home for the Crimson and Black since the 2017-18 season.
 
Helping the Wildcats secure the monstrous win at home was consistent scoring throughout the game and balanced scoring from the team. CWU shot 48.3% from the floor overall and shot 10-23 from three-point range.
 
Central's bench also outscored the Viking reserves 34-21 and held a 16-2 edge on fast break points. Defense also showed for the Crimson and Black who held WWU to just four assists, all of which that came in the second half.
 
Western looked to respond against the Central's 14-3 run but as the first half continued on, the Wildcats had an answer for every made shot by the visitors. They traded made shots in the final eight minutes, but the Wildcats maintained a 13-point lead, 37-24, at the break.
 
Balanced shots helped the Wildcats own a double figure lead at the break. Leading the Crimson and Black was Xavier Smith who had nine in the first 20 minutes. Pollard was right behind him with eight. As a team, CWU shot 38.7% and held WWU to 33.3%.
 
The Wildcats continued to shoot the ball coming out of the locker room as they stayed in front by double digits. By the first media timeout, CWU was shooting 5-7 overall and 3-5 from deep to lead 53-38. The Vikings were keeping pace shooting 6-9 overall and 2-4 from deep.
 
Western looked to close the gap against Central and got within 11, 53-42 with just over 14 minutes to play. The Wildcats made sure to stay in front by double figures with the help of a triple from Kevin Baker to make it 56-42 with 13:17 to play in regulation.
 
Baker's triple proved to be infectious as it was the start of a 7-0 run. Both sides of the ball were clicking for the Crimson and Black as WWU turnovers led to easy shots in transition. With 11:42 to play in the game, CWU led 60-42.
 
Out of the media timeout, WWU tried to end the CWU run but it grew to 15-0, with the next seven points coming from just one player in Lucas. He nailed a pair of jumpers and a corner three before WWU scored again. A shot from Western ended the run and CWU's lead was at 67-44.
 
Central's aggression showed no signs of slowing down. Each time the Vikings tried to piece together a comeback, it was shut down as the Wildcats continued to dictate the game's pace in the final 7:59 of play and hold on for the 22-point home win.
 
Smith led three players in double figure scoring with 25 points. He went 8-11 from the floor overall and was a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe. Lucas added 12 points off the bench, while Marqus Gilson chipped in 10 points. Baker was the team leader in boards with seven.
 
The Wildcats won the rebounding battle 35-29 and forced 14 WWU turnovers and had just 11 of their own. Points in the paint was split at 28-all. CWU also converted the 14 WWU turnovers to 23 points and gave up just 10.
 
 
REVERSE MEETING VERSUS NNU
The Nighthawks and Wildcats struggled to swing momentum to their side early in the contest, trading buckets and the lead.  Through the first 11 minutes of play, Northwest Nazarene led 20-17.  Jumpers from Tariq Woody and Davon Bolton put the Wildcats within one, 22-21, with 8:00 remaining in the first half.  A pair of free throws from Baker gave Central a 23-22 advantage.

Bolton nabbed the rebound on the defensive half of the court after the Nighthawks' next shot and found Baker for a trey, extending the lead to 26-22.  Northwest Nazarene kept chipping away at the Wildcats' lead and tied the score later in the first half, 34-34, before a three from Jeryn Lucas gave Central another three-point advantage.

With just 29 seconds left in the first half, a jumper from NNU's Zac Ferguson cut the Wildcats' lead to one, 37-36, as the teams headed into the locker room for halftime.

Baker had 10 points and three rebounds in the first half.  Bolton recorded seven points and five boards.  The Crimson and Black shot an even 50 percent from the floor, including a 5-11 mark from beyond the arc.  They were a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line.  

Central extended its lead to five early in the second half with a free throw from Smith and a three from Baker.  The Nighthawks once again fought to snuff out the 'Cats lead, but Central was there to answer.  With 14:38 left in regulation, the Crimson and Black held a 49-43 lead.
 
A pair of jumpers from NNU put the Nighthawks back in the driver's seat 60-58, but Gamaun Boykin leveled the score with 4:51 to play.  After a jumper from NNU's Adetunji, Lucas responded with a jumper of his own.  With just three minutes left in regulation, Baker put the Wildcats ahead for the final time with a trey, 65-64.  On the next possession for Northwest Nazarene, Boykin notched a steal and took it himself to the rim for a layup and a 67-64 lead.

After a free throw from Adetunji made the game a one-possession contest, a jumper from Bolton put Central ahead 69-65 with 46 seconds to play.  Adetunji knocked down a rare three for NNU, cutting Central's lead to one.

The ensuing inbound saw Jayden Bezzant foul Bolton to conserve what little time was left on the clock for the Nighthawks, but Bolton converted on both of his shots from the charity stripe with 13 seconds left.

Trailing by three as time waned, the Nighthawks looked to tie the game once more and force overtime.  Central's defense patrolled the arc tightly, denying the Nighthawks' chances to fire off a shot from distance.  Bezzant drove the lane and converted the layup, making the separation just one point, 71-70.  Northwest Nazarene managed to foul Xavier Smith with just over a second on the clock, sending Smith to the line.  He made the first as the Wildcats held on for a 72-70 victory.